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Sunday, July 17, 2016

Some Colorado Pictures Thanks To A $3 Cable

When we left on this trip, I decided not to bring along my laptop. All we have with us is a small Samsung tablet and our smartphones. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem...unless you want to write a blog post with some pictures from your "real" (digital SLR) camera, one that was made before all the wireless Internet connectivity options. Fortunately, as I discovered, my tablet and my wife's phone are newer Android devices and with the aid of a special cable these devices allow you to connect USB peripherals like keyboards, thumb drives, memory card readers, or cameras.

I couldn't find one of these cables while in Summit County, but found them in Denver. BestBuy had one from Samsung for $20, but I found a discount computer center that had them for only $2.50 (and you can find them on the Internet for a similar price). So, if you have an Android device that supports USB OTG (On The Go), you may want to grab one of these cables. With the cable I was able to edit pictures directly from the camera on the tablet.

While the thin air at high altitude and the remnants of a chest cold are not good things to mix, we did manage to do a little hiking and sightseeing in the Colorado high country. Here are a few pictures from my home state.

Update: The blog editor I was using (on the tablet) didn't create clickable images. You can now click on them to see larger versions.

The sign and sculpture at the east end of Main Street in Frisco.

Frisco is a cute mountain town. Near all the attractions but

doesn't feel like as much of a tourist trap as Breckinridge.

Since this is a sailing related blog...here is a sailboat on Lake Dillon

with Tiger Run and the Breckenridge ski area in the background.

More Dillon reservoir and sailboats with Frisco in the background.

This, and the picture that follows, are what Vaill pass looks

like if you get off the Interstate (I 70).

The road off of Vail pass leads to Shrine pass and the next

Few pictures are also from that area.

You can see the cuts in the trees that make up the Copper

Mountain ski area in the distance.

This rock has its very own wildflower.

Trying to wrangle the dogs for a picture

is a difficult task.

Before it was a tragic school shooting, Columbine

was known as the State flower. They do grow wild here.

A little hike near Freemont Pass, on the

way to Leadville.

A large American flag flying over a park in

Leadville with Mt. Massive in the background.

Mount Massive is the second highest of the Colorado Fourteeners, prominent mountain peaks with a summit elevation above 14,000 feet. Colorado has 53 of them, the largest number of any state by a pretty wide margin.

Turquoise Lake (actually a reservoir)

with Leadville in the distance.

A bit of a drop off if you don't pay attention

while hiking near Turquoise lake.

Not even sure which mountain this is,

just know it was west of Turquoise lake.

So there is a little taste of our home state and where we have been spending some of our time the past couple weeks. Places where snow can still be seen in July seems like a world away from our current life on the Atlantic ocean and Chesapeake bay..

Mike I kinda know the area as I have hiked the CDT twice thru there each time walking thru Frisco and the nearby dam that creates the large lake you pictured. Colorado is a great state with lots of people out doing things. I may be on the CDT next season we will see. Enjoy your time out west for me in the keys it is hot, but so far a decent summer.

Lake Dillon, which is actually a reservoir, is one of the larger bodies of water in the state. The sailing school I went to actually has some boats there. The hardest part of leaving Colorado was leaving this sort of thing behind...so it is great to come back and visit. Oh, and the fact it is in the 70's instead of 90's F helps too. ;-)

...That's the plan anyway

With no sailing experience and coming from a land-locked state, we intend to give up successful careers and embark on a more minimalistic and lower impact lifestyle living on a sailboat. Come along as we attempt to sail away from the rat race.

About Me

I'm an ex-software engineer living with my wife and two spoiled dogs. I hold a private pilots license and in the past owned a small, single engine aircraft. My wife and I are both PADI certified open water scuba divers.
When we started this sailing adventure, other than being passengers, we had no experience on a sailboat. We've taken sailing lessons through the ASA programs in both Colorado and Florida. In December 2013 we purchased our floating home, a 1999 Leopard 38, and in April of 2015 we sold our house and moved aboard.